If you see something you are interested in
please call the school at (509) 325-1500.
Spokane Art School Gallery
811 W. Garland Ave
Monday – Friday 10 – 5
Everything is always in a state of becoming something else; interlinked, interconnected,
interdependent. Works in “Process” capture moments of transition. A pollinator and its source; a
relationship that yields sustenance for all and implies all the other dependencies that constitute
our planet’s life systems.
As we sit on the brink of tremendous – some would say catastrophic – change, the question must
be asked, what are we on the verge of becoming? As the only known species that has a choice
in the matter, human decision will affect every other living organism and its ecological system,
which is fundamentally one system.
Works in “Process” both sculptural and utilitarian, begin with a basic and humble material, wool,
which is transformed by water, soap, needles and hands along with a heavy dose of labor.
Making items from a natural material that is not only tremendously resilient (wool is water
repellent, an amazing insulator and a non-woven fabric which makes it incredibly strong), but
also biodegradable, demonstrates a way to participate in a sustainable cycle and the endless
possibilities of that integration.
“Even a wounded world is feeding us. Even a wounded world holds us,
giving us moments of wonder and joy. I choose joy over despair. Not
because I have my head in the sand, but because joy is what the earth
gives me daily and I must return the gift. “
-Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass
Elyse Hochstadt returned to her studio in 2021 after a five year hiatus during which she focused
her energies on environmental issues related to climate change. Her recent output synthesizes
her deeply held beliefs surrounding these issues with her commitment to working with natural
materials.
Of late, her attention has been captured by wool and the myriad ways it can be transformed by
the most ordinary substances; water, soap, hands and needles. The transformative processes
are often time-consuming and labor-intensive, qualities she feels enrich her conceptual interests
in perceived boundaries such as those between nature and human existence, as well as notions
of progress.
Elyse holds an MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute. Her work has been exhibited widely
throughout the region including at Headlands Center for the Arts, San Francisco, CA, and the
Whitney Biennial as part of “Fairy Tales, Myth and the Popular Consciousness”. She has been
published in 7×7 magazine, San Francisco and California Home and Design. Currently, Elyse
runs Tangled Wool Studio through which she offers classes in fiber arts. You can find Tangled
Wool Studio on Facebook and Instagram.
Felted Ornament
$35
Wool felt
Sizes vary
Large Felt Ornament
$45
Wool felt
sizes vary
